Sewing-machine looper mechanism



' A. B. CLKYTON SBWING MACHINE LOOPER MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1922mvmmg I And/123046? 1025 mi,

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY iii Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ANDREW B. CLAYTON, F UNION, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFAC-TURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION JERSEY.

OF NEW SEWING-MACHINE LOOPER MECHANISM.

Applicationflled March 14, 1922. Serial No. 543,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW B. CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing Machine LooperMechanisms, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates toimprovements in looper-actuating mechanisms forsewing machines and particularly to improvements in the looper-actuatingmechanism disclosed in the United States patent to Albert H. DeVoe, No.1,100,124, dated June 16, 191%.

The present invention has for anob ect to provide looper-actuatingmechanisms 01 the character disclosed in said patent with means wherebythe time of coaction of the looper with the sewing machine needle andits lateral position with respect thereto may be readily determined andadapted to meet different sewing conditions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a looper-mechanism of thecharacter referred to with supporting and actuating means so constructedand arranged as to permit of their ready removal from the machine inwhole or in part without disturbing the looper-mechanism actuating shaftor the otheractuating elements carried by said shaft.

Other objects of the invention Wlll be apparent from the followingdescription and claims.

In its preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises alooper-actuating mech anism in which one or more loopers are carried bya looper-clamp secured upon a loopercarrier in a manner permittingbodily lateral adjustment of the positions of the loopers.

The looper-carrier 1s adjustably clamped upon a looper-carrier support,fulcrumed for re ciprocatory-oscillatory movements and socketed toslidingly receive a pin depending from a sleeve embracing an inclinedcrank. The inclined crank is carried by a crankshaftsecured at one endupon a rotary actuating shaft and journaled at its opposite end in asuitable bearing provided in a bracket detachably secured upon the machine frame. The fulcrum for the loopercarrier support comprises aournalhng bar' constructed in separable sections and the sleeveembracing the inclined crank comprises split sections both in order tofacilitate assembling and removal of the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l

is a front sideelevation, partly in section,

:machine is shown as constructed with the base 1 sustaining anoverhanging arm terminatlng n the head 2. J ournaled for vert1- cal,reciprocatory movements 1n the head 2 is the needle-bar 3, carryingneedles as a spaced from each other in. the direction of and alsotransversely of the direction of feed of the material being operatedupon. Also mounted for vertical movements in the head 2 is thepresser-bar 5 carrying the presser-foot 6 opposed to the feed-dog 7'.

which latter-may be supported and actuatedin any approved manner.

J ournaled in a suitable bearing provided in an upstanding lug 8 on themachine base is a rotary actuating shaft 9 having a reduced forward-endportion 10 adjacent the lug 8. Embracing said reduced shaft end 10 isthe tubular end 11 of a crank-shaft. The outer surface of the end 11 ofthe crankshaft is formed as eccentric to the axis of rotation of theshaft and is embraced by a strap 12, which through suitable connections(not shown) transmits rising and falling movements to the feed-dog 7.The tubular end 11 of the crank-shaft is secured upon the reducedactuating-shaft end 10 by means of a screw 13, access to which screw isafforded by an aperture 14 provided in the strap 12. The securing screw13 therefore affords means permitting the correct determination of thecrank position of the crankshaft upon and with respect to the actuatingshaft.

Adjacent its tubular end 11. the crankshaft is provided with a head 15from whose inclined forward face projects an inclined looper-actuatingcrank-pin 16, which serves as the sole actuating element for impartingboth endwise and sidewise movements to the looper. Preferably formedintegral with the opposite end of the crank-pin 16 is another inclinedhead 17 carried by the forward end 18 of the crank-shaft. The end 18 ofthe c unit-shaft is journaled in a suit able bearing provided in abracket 19 detachably secured, by means of a screw 20, upon a seatprovided in an upstanding lug 21 on the machine base. It will beapparent that, by manipulation of the securing screws 20 and 13, thecrank-shalt may be removed from the machine without disturbing theactuating shaft 9, which latter shaft usually carries a number of otheractuating elements whose relative timing positions would be destroyedwere it necessary to withdraw said actuating shaft in order to removethe crank-shaft, as was the case in prior constructions of thischaracter.

Fitted uponthe inclined crank 16 are the upper and lower splitslecvesections 22 and 23 united by securing screws as 24. Depending from thelower sleeve section 23 is a tubular pin 25, slidingly fitted within asocket 26 of an oscillatory and bodily-reciprocatory looper-carriersupport 27. The lower end of the socket 2G is closed by means of ascrew, 2; threaded thereinto. The looper-carrier support has a head 29carrying a peripherally threaded extension 30. The looper-carriersupport 27 is formed or otherwise provided with an. abutment-web 31adapted to be engaged upon opposite sides thereof by adjusting screws,as 32, threaded into spaced lateral ears, as 33, on the lower end of alooper-carrier B l. The looper-carrier 34 is provided with an aperture35 entered by the extension 30 upon which extension is then threaded atubular bar 36 for clamping the carrier between the end of the bar 36and the head 29. The bar 36 is journaled for endwise sliding and for.oscillatory movementswithin a bushing suitably secured in an apertureprovided in a lug 38 on the base 1.

The upper face of an offset lug 39 of the looper-carrier is providedwith a rib 10 and a threaded aperture ail for the purpose of adjustablysecuring thereupon the grooved base of a looper-clamp 4.2 by means of ascrew etiland an enlarged aperture 11% in said looper-clamp base.Secured by means of set-screws, as -15, in suitable apertures, as 16,provided in the looper-clamp are the shanks 17 of loopers, as 48,positioned so that the paths of their endwise movements lie in adirection transverse to the direction of feed.

In operation, each of the two loopers 18 cooperates with its respectiveneedle 4: in the manner described in the construction disclosed in theprior DeVoe Patent No. 1,100,- 1241, hereinbefore referred to. Theimprovement in the present construction resides in the adjustmentsprovided for correctly positioning the loopers with respect to thenecdlcs to insure proper coactiou under different sewing conditions. Itis apparent that by slightly unthreading the bar 36 and then adjustingthe screws 32 it is possible to correctly position the loopers in anendwise direction. whereby the time of coactiou with the needles may bealtered independently of the looper-actuating element. It is alsoapparent that the enlarged aperture ll in the looper clamp permitsbodily sliding movement thereof upon the rib 40, whereby accurateadjustments (Jill the lateral position oil the loopers may be obtained.

Another and very important Feature of the present improrement resides inthe construction permitting removal of the looper mechanism in whole orin part without disturbing the actuating" shaft and therefore the otheractuating elements usually carried by said sha'lt. To this end, thebracket 19 is dctachabl]; Fccurcijl upon the machine frame; the sleevesections and 23. are separable; the looper-carrier 55-1 is detachablysecured upon the loopcr-carrier support 2?; the loopeuclamp isdetachaliily sc cured upon its carrier, and the crank-shaft isrimiovably secured upon its actuating shalt, all as herein described.

In order to properly lubricate the parts comprising thelooper-mechaiiism, the lug 38 is provideiil with a lubricant reservoirll) (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) from which a lubricant is free topass to the outer surface of the bar Elli. The tubular bar 36 has aplurality of radial. apertures as 50, through which the lubricant entersthe hollow bar, the outer end. oi the bushing 37 being closed by carplate 51 suitably secured upon the lug l nasnuu'h as the extcusion 30is provided with a central bore the lubricant is free to work its waywithin the bore of said extension and into a duct 53 which comnmniruteswith the socket 215 to lubricate the bearing surface of the pin 25. Thepin is provided with a. longitudinal bore whereby the lubricant is freeto pass within the sleeve embracing the c rank. The bracket 1% is alsoprovided with a reservoir 55 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1)conmumicatirig by nu aus oi a duct 56 with the outer surtai-e ol the endlb of the cranleshalt which journaled in said bracket- .l'iy means of a.radial aperture. lubricant is conducted into a bore 57 within said shaftand through a similar bore :18 in the head 1? into a bore within thecrankpin 16. The outer end of the shall end 18 may be closed by a capsimilar to cap 51 or by any other suitable means. A pluralitv ofsuitable radial apertures lead the lubricant from the bore 59 to theouter surface of the crank-pin. By the means described,

a thoroughly efficient lubricating system is provided.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. In a sewing machine, in combination, a reciprocating needle, alooper, a looperclamp, a looper-carrier, means for adjustably securingthe looper-clamp upon said looper-carrier, a looper-carrier support,means for adjustably securing the loopercarrier upon said support, andlooper-actuating means operatively connected with said loopencarriersupport for imparting endwise and sidewise. movements to the looper.

2. In a sewing machine, the con'ibination with a reciprocating needleand a rotary actuating shaft, of a looper mechanism comprising a crankcarried by said shaft, a looper-carrier, a looper mounted upon saidcarrier, and operative connections between said crank and saidlooper-carrier for imparting both endwise and sidewise movements to saidlooper including a support for i said looper carrier, permittingdetachment of said looper mechanism from the sewing machine in theoperative position of said actuating shaft.

3. In a looper mechanism for sewing machines, the combination with anactuating shaft, and an inclined crank carried by said shaft, of alooper-carrier support journaled for oscillatory movement upon and forbodily movement along a fixed axis, a looper-carrier sustained by andadjustable about the axis of said support, and a con nection betweensaid crank and looper-car rier support comprising an element sleevedupon said crank and having a pin-andsocket connection with the support.

4-. In a looper mechanism for sewing machines, the combination withanactuating shaft, and an inclined crank carried by said shaft, of alooper-carrier support journaled for oscillatory movement upon and forbodily movement along a fixed axis, a journal-bar constituting a fulcrumfor said support detachable therefrom, a detachable looper-carriersecured upon said support, a looper sustained by said carrier, and aconnection between said crank and said support for imparting operativemovements to I said looper.

5. In a looper mechanism for sewing machines, the combination with anactuating shaft, and an inclined crank carried by said shaft, of alooper-carrier support journaled for oscillatory movement upon and forbodily movement along a fixed axis, a journal-bar for said supportdetachable therefrom, a looper-carrier clamped upon said support by saidjournal-bar, a looper sustained by said carrier, and a connectionbetween said crank and the support for imparting operative movements tosaid looper.

6., In a looper mechanism for sewing Ina-- chines, the combination withan actuating shaft, and an inclined crank carried by said shaft, of alooper-carrier support journaled for oscillatory movement upon and forbodily movement along a fixed axis, a pinand-sleeve connection betweensaid support and the inclined crank, a journal-bar for said supportdetachable therefrom, a loopercarrier secured upon said support for adjustment about the axis of said journalbar, and a looper-clamp securedupon said carrier for adjustment in the direction of the axis of saidjournal-bar.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base, a reciprocatingneedle, and a rotary actuating shaft journaled in said base, of acrankshaft secured upon one end of said rotary shaft to rotate coaxialiytherewith, a bracket detachably secured upon said base affording ajournal for the other end of said crank-shaft, a loopencarrier support,a pin-and-sleeve connection between the crank-shaft and said support, anoscillatory and axially slidable journal-bar detachably secured uponsaid support, a journal for said bar, a looper-carrier detachablymounted upon said support for movement therewith, and a looper sustainedby said looper-carrier.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with a reciprocating needle, anda rotary actuating shaft, of an actuating element carried by said shaft,a looper-carrier supporthaving an abutment web, an oscillatory andaxially slidable journal-bar detachably secured upon said support, alooper-carrier fulcruined upon said support, an adjustable connectionbetween said looper-carrier and said abutment web, a looper sustained bysaid carrier, and an operative connection be tween said actuatingelement and said looper carrier support for imparting both endwise andsidewise movements to the looper.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ANDREW Bv CLAYTON.

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